Life-preserver.



VV. H. KANEN.

LFE PRESERVER.

APPLICATION FILED PERM, 19H,

LQSQQM b Patented Dec.29,1914.

A TTURNE Y puritan srafrns rafrnnfr carica..

WALTER H. KANEN, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MARTIN L. MCKEAN, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

maaien.

`Specification of Letters Patent. Pat-,ented De@ 29, i914.

Application filed February 24, 1914. Serial N o. 820,478.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER H. KANEN, a citizen lof the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Preservers, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to improvements in life preservers and particularly to the collapsible type, which may be'worn under the clothes and inflated when required.

The principal object of my invention' is the construction of an improved device of the character named, which will occupy a very small space, which may be 'formed into the regular garments -and thus be worn con# cealed on the person.

Another object is to provide an improved form of `valve used in connection therewith.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the new and novel construction and arrangement of parts as herein described and pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the drawings forming a part of this speciication wherein,

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved device mounted on a person. F ig.. 2 is a view 1n perspective of the deviceA placed in and forming a part of a mans vest. Fig. 3 is a detail view in elevation of one end of the device removed from the garnicht. Fig. 4c is an enlarged sectional view Y on 4-a, Fig. 2. F ig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the valve used with my device.

Referring to corresponding parts by the same numerals of reference, 1 denotes the buoyant element of th device and the same consists of a plurality of impervious airtight elastic tubes 2, having their ends closed. -These tubes are surrounded by a jacket fl of strong inelasticlmaterial which prevents tube 2 from expanding too greatly while being inflated.

Jackets 4: project beyond the ends of the air tube and have their ends fastened to flat connecting strips 5, and to one of thesel strips is attached a buckle G and to the other :i strap 7. Each tube 2 is provided with an inflation tube 8 the two being joined vin a ,single tube 9 provided with a valve 10. The latter is strongly attached to tube 9 in any preferred manner, and provided with the axial passages l1 and 12 connected by the conical seat 13. Adapted to it this seat is a conical valve 14, which is held adjacent the seat by a cross pin 15. A. cap 16 is provided which may be placed in threaded engagement with the valve body and the gasket 17 thus brought into intimate contact with the valve end to make a perfectly air tight union. A string 18 is connected to eyes 19 and 20 in the valve and cap respectively, to prevent the latter from becoming lost, and annular ribs 21 so are formed on the outside of the valve body to make the device easy lto hold between the lips when inflating.

ln practice I prefer to place the buoyant tubes within a garment between the outside and lining thereof, as shown in Fig. t, the same being positioned by rows of stitching 11. The strips 5 are positioned adjacent the edge seams of the garment and the buckle and straps brought out through suitable slits in the lining. Tube 9 is coiled or other disposed upon the inside of the garment so held that it may be quickly reached ,and pulled out for inflation purposes.

Having thus described my invention it will of course be understood that various modifications may be' made in detail andl form without departing from the spirit thereof.

lVhat l claim and wish to cover by Letters Patent is 1. The combination in a device of the character named of a plurality of elastic air tight tubes, a flexible inelastic covering for each of said tubes, the adjacent ends of said. coverings extending beyond the ends of said tubesplat metallic strips, connecting adjacent ends of said flexible covering, said tubes, covers and strips being placed between a garment and the lining thereof,

rows of stitching adapted to hold said tubes j exible coverings, said tubes, coverings and ing a valve adapted to retain the air pres'- connecting strips being held between said vsurewithinsaid air tight tubes. 10

garment and the lining therefor, rows of In testimony whereof I affix my signature stitching preventing movement of saidparts in presence of two Witnesses.

.5 Within said garment, relatively small exi- WALTER H. IEANEN. i i' ble tubes communicating With said, air tight l Witnesses: tubes, said small tubes being joined' into a W. A. STOCK, ,'laijger tube, said last mentioned tube carry MARTIN LUTHER MGKEAN. 

